Lewis Hamilton has been handed a massive 65-place grid penalty for the Brazilian Grand Prix after Ferrari was forced to replace his power unit following a worrying technical problem during final practice at Interlagos.
The seven-time world champion had already been facing a ten-place penalty after Ferrari introduced a fifth internal combustion engine (ICE) for the 2026 season. However, a further power unit change has dramatically increased the scale of the sanction, leaving Hamilton facing a start from the back of the grid in São Paulo.
The decision represents another frustrating setback for Hamilton, who had been hoping to turn a challenging weekend around during a rain-affected qualifying session.
Ferrari forced into major power unit replacement
Hamilton’s problems began during Saturday’s third practice session when he reported smoke coming from the cockpit of his Ferrari.
The British driver returned to the pits, prompting the team to investigate the problem and remove the power unit for further inspection.
Ferrari subsequently confirmed its decision to replace the complete power unit ahead of qualifying.
In a statement to the media, the Scuderia explained:
“After today’s third free practice session, the power unit of car number 44 was removed for further inspections.”
The team added that, following its analysis, it had decided to replace the entire power unit. Hamilton would still be permitted to participate in qualifying, but would have to start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid.
The replacement triggered a substantial accumulation of penalties under the FIA’s power unit regulations.
Why Hamilton received a 65-place penalty
The scale of Hamilton’s punishment is explained by the number of individual power unit components replaced.
Under the FIA regulations, exceeding the permitted allocation of an internal combustion engine results in a five-place grid penalty. Additional turbocharger, exhaust, energy storage, control electronics and MGU-K components each carry further penalties.
The FIA stewards confirmed that Hamilton’s accumulated sanctions amounted to 65 grid places, in addition to the previously recorded ten-place penalty.
The stewards’ documentation referenced Section B8.2.8 of the FIA Formula 1 Regulations, with the additional internal combustion engine element covered under Section B8.2.8b.
With the combined penalty far exceeding the 15-place threshold, Hamilton will automatically start from the back of the grid rather than simply dropping 65 positions from his qualifying result.
It is an enormous punishment on paper, although the practical consequence is the same: Hamilton faces a difficult afternoon attempting to recover positions.
Verstappen and Pérez also face grid penalties
Hamilton is not the only driver facing a compromised starting position at Interlagos.
Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez have also accumulated substantial grid penalties following power unit changes, with both drivers facing sanctions worth 30 places.
Verstappen elected not to set a representative time in Q2, given his anticipated penalty, while Pérez qualified 21st.
Hamilton, meanwhile, managed to reach the latter stages of qualifying and recorded the 11th-fastest time in the rain-affected session.
However, his power unit penalty means that result offers little consolation.
Norris takes pole as Mercedes targets constructors’ title
At the front of the field, Lando Norris secured pole position for McLaren after an unpredictable qualifying session in changing conditions.
Kimi Antonelli will start alongside the 2025 world champion on the front row, while Mercedes teammate George Russell qualified seventh.
The result leaves Mercedes in a strong position to secure the 2026 Constructors’ Championship in Brazil. The team can clinch the title if it outscores Ferrari by at least three points.
Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, faces his own difficult starting position after Ferrari introduced additional power unit components for the weekend.
For Hamilton, the immediate priority is to salvage whatever he can from a weekend that has become increasingly complicated.
Starting from the back of the field at Interlagos is far from ideal, particularly on a circuit where changing weather conditions can create opportunities but also expose technical weaknesses.
The seven-time world champion has demonstrated throughout his career that he can produce exceptional recovery drives. However, with Ferrari now having to contend with another power unit problem, Hamilton faces a significant challenge if he is to turn Sunday’s Brazilian Grand Prix into a meaningful result.
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